I am your host, Dawn LaMattina Asher, and I’m thrilled to be hosting you alongside my husband and partner, Jeff! My hosting journey began fresh out of college while traveling, when I found myself stranded in Sicily with no money left, having spent it all on gelato and cannoli! I had no way home. Desperate, I begged my way onto trains. One attendant I’ll never forget. We were lost in translation, and I was in tears, but he graciously ushered me aboard. Soon after, he returned with a homemade sandwich, split it in half, and handed me a piece. In that moment, he offered something that needed no translation: You belong.

My career in storytelling has spanned film and television, home styling, culinary arts, and event design, eventually leading me to vacation rentals. In 2020, as the world spiraled into isolation and travel became a lifeline, I remembered my Sicilian train “host,” Salvatore. I opened The Olive Jar, serving other hosts with experiential design, to carry that feeling forward—welcoming travelers with generous warmth, story, and care, all rooted in one promise: Getaways to Reconnect.

Married for 17 years, on a wild adventure with our daughters, Sicily & Eva, and Jeff’s dad too, we’re honored to open our very own getaway, The Ellijay Olive, to travelers who value connection through boutique overnight stays.

The Ellijay Olive represents a tender chapter in my life, summed up by a friend who once told me, “Dawn, when life hands you a lemon, you make a charcuterie board.”

Whether for a pop-up dinner or an overnight stay, thank you for allowing us host you.